Keep Holding On
by SymphonicMetalChocobos
Summary: Few things are more important than family, especially your children. Xigbar would do anything to find his son, Braig; anything for him, anything to protect him from harm. His son was the most important person in his life, after all. But... there's other people his son's important too as well, and 'bad men' would be an understatement. Warnings Inside.
1. Chapter 1

Warnings: Minor yaoi(AkuRoku), mentions and more of child prostitution, sexual abuse, rape, prostitution, kidnapping, and attempted murder.

* * *

Xigbar slowly opened his eye, staring up at the pale whitish beige ceiling of his room with an almost empty stare, feeling tired despite sleeping most of the whole night. Sighing, he sat up slowly, feeling sluggish as he swung his legs over the side of the bed and got to his feet. Time and time again he dreamed about his son, and tonight was no different. He had dreamed about his son being snatched away from him by hands from the darkness, crying for him but he could do nothing to save him. He sighed, rubbing at the corners of his eyes. There wasn't a night that went by that he didn't dream about his son, whether it be a nightmare, or a dream about the good memories he had.

His eye slowly slid over to his nightstand, staring at the worn photo of a five year old with black hair, gold eyes just like his, and a toothy grin who was holding up a simple painted drawing of two blue birds made from a hand print, one his and one his son's. A sad, tiny smile crossed his face for a moment before it was replaced by an equally sad frown, and he willed himself to hold back any tears, not wanting to stir himself up before the day had even really been started, even if he didn't have anywhere to go today. Everyday, it was a struggle keep his emotions hidden and not to break down in tears from the pain and guilt he held inside, and the horrible memories that haunted him.

It had been a little over a year since he last saw his son, and his then five year old's face still inhabited his mind, day and night, even in his dreams. Even now, he could still hear his son giggling and laughing when he played games with him, all the milestones in his life, how he had been learning to speak... Just thinking about the first time his son said 'daddy' to him brought tears to his eyes. He hadn't even meant to have a baby, nor did he ever think he'd have a child considering he leaned more towards men, but thanks to dating a girl for the first time, he had been graced with the most precious person in his life despite the tragic circumstances surrounding his son's birth.

His old girlfriend and he had both gotten somewhat drunk one night, and ended up having sex. Low and behold, she'd gotten pregnant. It was difficult because she was ill but she didn't want to give up the baby, and neither did he even though they were drifting apart romantically though they were still good friends and it would have been easier on her. Unfortunately, after the baby's birth, she got worse and worse until she became terminally ill. It had hurt terribly for her to die, but fortunately, they had the chance to spend some last time together, talk everything over and agree that he'd take care of Braig, so he wasn't as sad as he could have been when she finally died, thankfully in peace.

From then on, at only seventeen, he became a father to a beautiful baby boy, Braig. He didn't even know where he had gotten the name from, but it seemed to be the perfect name for his son.

"Braig..." Xigbar murmured under his breath, continuing to stare at the photo, temporarily lost in some of the good memories until he heard his cellphone ringing, not expecting a call this early. Usually, he didn't 'wake up' until sometimes in the afternoon, according to his few friends. In reality, he woke up every day early in the morning to go search for any sign of his son, regardless of how little information he had, and just came back in the afternoon, napped, and then officially came out.

He snapped out of his little trance, sighing and reached over, grabbing his phone off his nightstand and glancing at the little caller ID. Axel, it read, in little pixelated letters. He hesitated slightly, not really feeling like talking, but he answered the call anyways, just in case it was something important. At the very least, talking to Axel might make him feel a little better since the man was his closest friend.

"Hey, Ax.." Xigbar used a yawn to disguise his tired voice, making it seem as if the phone call had actually woken him up.

_"Morning, Xig! Ohh... did I wake you up? Sorry, if I did." _He heard Axel laugh sheepishly on the other end of the phone. "_You seem kinda down recently, so m__e and Rox were taking Ven to get some pizza, and we were wondering if you wanted to come with us. Maybe it'd make you feel a bit better."_

"Nah, I think I'll pass this time, I've got a bunch of errands ta run. Sorry." He doubted the offer would This was always the time that he went off searching for information about where his son could be, and he didn't want them involved. He didn't want them to know about the loss of his son... about his failure as a parent. The guilt he held was like an open, festering wound that refused to heal until it at least got closure. He didn't think he'd ever get over having his son taken from him, not until he either found him alive, or died trying. He didn't want to think of finding him dead, or not finding him at all despite the high possibility of his death.

_"Don't worry about it, we can hang out some other time. If you want, we could bring you back something, I know you're even worse at cooking than me!"_

"Yeah, that'd be nice." Xigbar chuckled slightly, albeit half-heartedly. "Think I'll take pepperoni, large too. Thanks, Ax. I'll pay ya back when ya bring it over."

_"Okay, one pepperoni coming up. And you don't have to pay me back! Just enjoy the pizza when I get it to you. We'll probably be by around... two o'clock, maybe?" _

"Alrighty. I should be back by then."

_"Gotcha. Well, we've got to head out now. See you in a bit, Xig!"_

"See ya later, Ax."

Xigbar sighed after he hung up his phone, setting it back on the nightstand before he wandered over to his dresser, socks making a soft dragging noise on the carpet, not bothering to remove his pajamas since it was cold enough that he needed the extra clothes to stay warm. He opened his dresser, slipping on a pair of older black jeans and a warm sweater. Twilight Town had beautiful summers, but terribly harsh winters full of heavy snow, and the occasional blizzard. If his son was alive out there... was he cold, wherever he could be? Could he be hungry? Was he even sheltered from the cold and snow? His son was so young, he wouldn't be able to take care of himself properly. The questions never ended, not even when he dreamed, having nightmares about his son freezing in the snow and wind, starving, on the verge of death in some cold, dark corner, or wandering around terrified and cold, calling out for him...

Blank gold eyes came jolted into focus as his body twitched violently, brow heavy with sweat, and all he could hear in his mind was his son's voice calling out for him, trembling and weak. Already he could feel a sickening curtain of despair and fear starting to drop itself over him, trying to poison his thoughts with soul crushing mental images and fill him with more doubt than he already had. He swallowed thickly, shuddering, feeling a terrible, aching cold with each beat of his heart that made him feel numb and ill. Running his hand over his face, he pulled away from the dresser and moved to the bathroom, trying to distract himself from the horrifying thoughts at least slightly.

He grabbed a cloth from the bathroom closet before washing his face with cold water, vaguely glad it woke him up a little more. As he raised up, water dripping off his chin, he stared at his reflection in the mirror for a moment with tired eyes, and for a moment, Xigbar was surprised by how tired and sullen he appeared. All the exhausting searching, the seemingly never ending failure, depression, all while running on barely a couple hours of sleep a night was slowly damaging his body. He could tell by the frequent headaches, his severe depression deepening, his whole body generally aching, the dark bags under his eyes, and he had even hallucinated a few times. He tried so hard to sleep better to help at least slightly, but nightmares and everything else against him seemed intent on keeping him sleep deprived and almost sickly.

Drying his face off, he finished the small piece of his morning routine, leaving the bathroom with a blank expression on his face. The man returned to his room, going to his nightstand and grabbing the photo of his son off the nightstand, carefully slipping it into his pocket like he always did. He never left his room without the photo in his pocket; he couldn't bring himself too. His wallet and phone were taken away and moved to his other pocket before he grabbed his heavy jacket and fur aviator's hat from his closet, gloves from his drawer's nightstand, and his boots, slipping them all on. He exited his small apartment, slowly making his way down the few flights of stairs until he reached the bottom and left the building, immediately hit with the everyday hustle and bustle of Twilight Town and the freezing air. Fortunately, it wasn't loud, but even more so, he really only heard adults. He couldn't stand to hear children, even now. All it would make him think about was Braig and it would just break his damaged heart even more.

Xigbar let out a slow breath, zipping his jacket up and pulling his hat down over his ears more, but even then he still felt cold. Pushing away dark and familiar thoughts, he started down the snow dusted street, glancing up at the dark gray sky that seemed like it might spit out more snow and he didn't doubt it would; the weatherman has said it would be snowing for the next week and a half at least. As if searching wasn't difficult enough, he'd have to do it in the snow. He tried to distract himself from his thoughts regarding his son's possible wellbeing and just focus on his task.

He walked down the street, hands in his pockets, heading for the tram station to make his way to a section of town he had only partially 'interviewed' so far. A year, and he still hadn't searched and asked around most of Twilight Town, and every day he knew more and more things had be searched. He had gone to the police when the crime first happened, but the trail had long since gone cold and they had essentially given up save for a few cops who said they'd keep it on their desks, men he'd become friends over time they'd worked with him: Zack Fair, and his partner Reno Toanstin. They even assisted him sometimes with searching when they could besides just providing him possible sightings and little bits of information that could be relevant, anything that could help.

Usually he preferred to work alone, but he wouldn't have minded having them with him on his current trip. The part of town he was going to was one of the more seedy and a dangerous part of town, and he didn't own a weapon. Never had, not wanting to have something that dangerous around his son, even if he would have been responsible and kept it in a safe place. He'd call them, but that wouldn't be right, they had jobs to do and other cases to work on. He wouldn't pull away just because it was dangerous though; his son meant more to him than danger. Zack and Reno had gotten him a little information, sightings of various children near a plain building, and one of them, they had said, resembled Braig. He would be damned if he wouldn't check out the building. He knew he had to be careful, because if he was gone, there would be no one to continue searching for his son, but he had to go; it was another chance he could find Braig.

Xigbar shivered lightly, passing by groups of chattering people as he stepped up to the mostly empty tram stop, glancing at the sign to see if he was on time or had to wait; fortunately, it was arriving in just three minutes, if it was on time.

Waiting, and trying to keep warm, soon enough the tram arrived, and he got on without a word, pulling out his wallet and paying an even four Munny for the ticket. He took it with a quiet 'thanks', sitting in an empty seat near the middle of the bus. Idly watching a few more people shuffle onto the bus, he turned his attention to his surroundings outside, staring at random people as the tram lurched and began to slowly move its way down the track.

Xigbar let a sigh roll off his chapped lips as he stared at the people and builds that passed by in a very light blur, pulling out his phone and checking his texts, specifically one from Zack. His eyes glanced at the pixelated letters and numbers, wanting to make sure he had the address right not to mention, it wasn't like he had much to do besides keep his hope down so his inevitable disappointment wouldn't be as great.

* * *

Almost forty-five minutes later after switching trams a few times, and having to walk his way into the district of Twilight Town, Xigbar arrived in what he hoped was an area in the general vicinity of where he was headed to. He shivered slightly, digging his hands into his pockets more to pull out his phone and check the address yet again before glancing up at the nearby rusty signpost. 22502 Olblen Road, it read in faded white letters. He knew the city all too well, so he still had to go down and over several streets before he arrived at the building Zack gave him an address to.

His phone was shoved back in his pocket as he headed down the mostly deserted street, boots crunching in the snow, and just as he expected, the clouds began crying tears of snow that quickly covered his clothes and his footsteps. He hated it, but he had the feeling he wouldn't be able to be out as long as he wanted if it snowed any harder.

Xigbar quickened his pace, glancing up at another rusty signpost as he passed it, turning down a nearby alleyway and crossing to the next street over with a breathy sigh and a silvery puff of breath that followed. Continuing down the street, he pulled his hat down more as a howling gust of wind came by, blowing snow into his already cold face. He turned down another alleyway to cross to the next street and to hide from the wind, inching closer and closer to the address.

Like every time before, he could feel his heart start to race more as he slowly made his way to the building, crossing the last few streets, fueled by a mixture of fear, hope, and dread. As he emerged from another alleyway, Xigbar looked up the street and at the faded numbers on old apartment buildings. The building was just up at the street, and he had to wonder if the information would lead to finding his son, or another failure, and all he could think about was the latter. Usually the information he received was possible sightings so most likely, he'd probably just see another black haired child that faintly resembled Braig. Whatever happened, his hopes would probably be cruelly crushed again under life's spiked boot and squished into the metaphorical ground.

Xigbar approached the plain, unassuming building, an almost sad expression on his scarred face as he examined the place. Had Zack really gotten a possible sighting from here? The building looked like it was long since abandoned. Wait... did that mean whatever kid, possibly his Braig, they saw was homeless, possibly? He swallowed hard, heart seemingly skipping a beat at the mental thought and image, hoping that the homeless part wasn't true.

Snow falling heavier, he stood there for a moment more before heading towards the building more, shaking the snow off of him. As he got closer to the building, he idly watched a black, weirdly unmarked van approaching the building. Suspicious, but maybe someone was moving or something. Or maybe it was him, thinking of the stories children and such were told about avoiding strangers and vans, all of which served to remind him of Braig's kidnapping. He slowed his walk slightly, wanting to possibly see what was going on, but not seem suspicious himself.

Despite the snow fall muffling sounds, he heard the motor go off when the van parked and the doors open. He glanced up, watching two men get out, a tall black haired man with what looked like dreadlocks and sideburns, and another, shorter man with long, slightly spiked blue hair, both in heavy coats and hats. They weren't watching, but just to be safe, he ducked into the nearest alleyway, peeking around the corner with a curious, but worried look in his eye. Xigbar watched the two men shut their doors, look around then go around to the back of the van and open the back doors. His breath hitched, and his eyes widened. The back of the van was full of children, at least four of them, maybe more, all between the ages of five and eight. Why on earth would two men be transporting children to a plain building?

Xigbar couldn't stop the sickening and horrible thoughts than ran through his mind like race horses, and it only for a moment did he look away when the men glanced around a second time. He swallowed thickly, a terrible sense of dread and something he couldn't explain washing over him as he watched them herd the children out of the van. As soon as his eyes laid on the second to last child to get out, it felt like his heart stopped and time itself came to a stand still, and he thought he might collapse.

Pitch black hair that was barely flipped up at the ends that immediately became tussled by the shrieking wind, a pointed little nose red from the cold, bright gold eyes that held fear, and... a little scar on his forehead from where he hit his head on the coffee table when he was three.

It was Braig.

He knew it in his heart. He was Braig's father, he has raised him from the time he was a newborn baby that always kept him or woke him at two o'clock for a nighttime bottle of milk to up until he was so cruelly stolen from him. Every single synapse in his body was screaming at him that it was his son, he looked... no, he **was **Braig. It **had **to be him; he wasn't even remotely thinking of it, but his brain wasn't letting him think it wasn't Braig. He didn't care where they were going in that building, he was going to get his son back.

It took all of Xigbar's willpower to keep himself from bolting over and snatching his son away from the men. He forced himself to stay put, watching the men herd the children into the building, blood boiling when he saw the black haired man push the boy he thought, and seemed sure was his son slightly.

Xigbar only emerged from the alleyway when he saw the men leave the building several minutes later, get back into the van, and drive off. More intent in his footsteps than ever before, he hurried to the entrance of the building. For a moment, he paused, staring at the door, trying to brace himself for whatever he might expect, not thinking of the danger he could be putting himself in. Without another thought, he opened the door and stepped in, instantly greeted by a surprising inside. The inside was completely different from the outside, the walls a deep red, and the room itself was plain, nothing there except a door near the far wall, front desk with a computer, and an utterly emotionless looking man with spiked silver hair and tan skin at the desk.

Swallowing hard, he walked up to the desk as inconspicuously as possible, wondering what in the world he had stepped into and what was behind the door. It was the only place those men could have taken what he desperately hoped was his son.

"Can I help you, sir?" The man asked in a bleak monotone, staring at him with emotionless, but almost bored amber eyes.

"Uh, yeah..." Xigbar paused for a moment, honestly having no clue how to go about this besides the usual 'have you seen this kid' questions he went through. Despite the intense determination, it was starting to dawn on him that he had know idea what he was getting into, and he hadn't thought about calling Zack and Reno when he saw; it was too late and suspicious to do it now.

None of his few friends or coworkers had ever known about his past, or what happened to Braig, never even suspected it because of how good he had become at trying to seem... happy, fine with life. Maybe those basic 'acting' skills could help him somehow.

"'m lookin' for a kid. Six years old," He said the words as carefully as possible, making sure not to speak too quickly or too slowly.

The amber eyed man looked Xigbar over carefully with a discerning eye before typing some information into the computer.

"Come with me." He spoke up when he was done a minute later, heading for the door, and Xigbar followed without a word. He didn't let onto it, but amid the hope and dread, he was terrified of what he could have stepped into, but he had to do this. It had to have been his son being lead into the building.

The silver haired man turned the handle and opened the door, letting Xigbar step in first before he followed, letting the door shut behind them with a 'click' as it locked. He looked around the small room which help a metal detector, and the sort of things like in an airport security checkpoint. He had his ideas about what the place could be, but some of the worst had to be crossed off. If it was drug trafficking or something, they wouldn't just let him in like this, plus they had brought in children.

Without a word, the silver haired man pushed him through the metal detector and checked him over, and Xigbar managed to suppress a shudder, reminded of times he'd rather forget. After a few moments of more searching, the man stated he was cleared and let him go through the doorway. Heart pounding in his chest, he couldn't help but stare down the long hallway full of rooms, the same deep red as the front room, absolutely sickened and horrified by the faint sounds he heard, but there was no disguising that it was a mixture of moans, crying, and other sounds he didn't want to know about.

"We have many six year old children available." The man's voice almost startled Xigbar. "Do you have a gender preference or does it not matter?"

"Male..." Xigbar looked back at the man, hoping the desperation in his eyes was hidden.

"Do you want me to bring a line-up of boys for you to select, a random one, or do you have a particular boy in mind?"

"Particular... Black hair, gold eyes, and a small scar on the forehead." Xigbar used a portion of his willpower to keep his voice from shaking, not liking what he heard. He used to watch crime TV shows, he'd heard the possible things Braig could have been kidnapped for, the things the man said, the sounds he was hearing... All of them pointed him in a direction he hoped he'd never have to face, but it was all becoming a horrible reality. This was some sort of a brothel for child prostitution, and if that boy was Braig, then... he was in this. His son had been forced into it.

Without a word, the man lead Xigbar to a room farther down the hallway, opening the door for him. Xigbar stepped inside, looking at the simply furnished room: a bed, nightstand, lamp, and not much else.

"I will bring Braig to you in a few minutes. Wait here." And the door was shut behind him.

Xigbar let out a shuddery breath, stepping over and sitting on the bed, feeling like his world was crashing into him. He... He had finally found his son. A year of searching, tearing the city apart looking for him while struggling with so many things, and he could finally see his boy again. He wanted so badly to be happy, and he was, but all he could think about was what Braig had been forced into... Child prostitution of all things, violated by all manner of sick and vile perverts, sold for money. So many things could have been done to Braig... He didn't want to imagine it, but all sorts of sick images flooded into his mind and he felt like crying. No, he had to hold himself together, for his son and for himself. Whatever happened to Braig and whatever happened today, he was getting his son out of this place as soon as they reunited and nothing was going to stop him.

Minutes ticked by like hours as he waited silently, biting his chapped bottom lip and tapping his foot on the flooring until the door opened again, and a silvery haired man pushed a spooked looking black haired child into the into the room.

Xigbar breath hitched as he stared down at Braig, barely hearing or noticing that the door had been closed. He looked almost exactly like he did in the photo in his pocket, and just like he did when he was six.

"Braig..." Xigbar said softly, breaking into a watery grin, unable to help hold back the tears that gathered and stung his eyes. "D-Do ya remember me? Do ya know who I am?"


	2. Chapter 2

With a tilt of his head, Braig looked up curiously at his name, staring at Xigbar closely with confusion and suspicion in his eyes. He stared and after a moment, it dawned on him just who he was staring at. Despite every traumatizing and scarring experience he'd gone through, he remembered things from his life before being forced into prostitution, and he remembered this man clearly. He knew who it was, it was his father! His Daddy came to rescue him finally! Tears gathered in Braig's eyes as he rushed over to him and all but jumped into his father's arms, pressing his face into his coat. He felt his father hug him tight and kiss his head, and for the first time in over a year, he felt safe again.

"D-Dad-dy..!" Braig sobbed, voice breaking, hiccuping and sniffing as he clutched onto Xigbar's coat with little fingers while tears streamed down his reddened cheeks. "I-I m-missed y-ya sooooo much, D-Daddy!"

A few tears rolled down Xigbar's cheeks, and he didn't bother wiping them away, swallowing hard and nodding, too stunned to do anything besides hold his son close. It was Braig, it was really his son, and to make it even better... he remembered him. Joy flooded into him, and it covered over the negative emotions and thoughts like thick blanket, and all he could think about was to get his son out and take him back home.

"Oh, kiddo, I missed you too..." Xigbar sniffed himself, kissing his son's head. He rubbed his back gently to comfort him, just like he did when he was younger; it had always calmed him down.

Silence fell over them save for sniffles and sobs from Braig, and Xigbar just relished the feeling of his son in his arms again, all the faint sounds wasting away into nothing as he tried his best to calm his son down as much as possible. He let out a sigh, feeling Braig shift in his arms and hold onto his neck now, chin digging into his coat. Raising up, he moved to the bed and sat down, but knowing what his son had been through, he was careful in touching him and sitting him down on his lap. What all had his son gone through? He could imagine some things, but there was no telling what horrors he had witnessed and been subjected to. He wanted to think that if they managed to escape, he'd get his son and himself some therapy, and hopefully things could slowly return to how they were in the past, but... that was easier said than done. But... they were reunited again. It would be hard, but they could work towards that goal. First though, he needed to get his son out of this horrible brothel.

"W-Where w-were y-ya, D-Dad-dy...? I-I w-woke u-up, a-and y-ya were g-gone... I cr-cried'n stuff..." Braig mumbled with a little cough, tears slowly rolling down his cheeks as he shifted slightly.

Xigbar hesitated, sighing deeply as his son's words ran through his head. As much as he wanted to hear what Braig had to say, he shushed him softly, pulling away to look into his son's face, stroking back his ruffled hair. He didn't want to cut the reunion short, but he'd rather do it in a more safe and less disturbing place. Not to mention, as heavy as snow was falling, the trams would have a hard time running, and he didn't want to get stuck outside, walking home with his son who certainly wasn't dressed for winter. At least the snow would cover up his footsteps when they left though, if they were even able to escape.

"I want ta hear everythin' ya have to say, but we have ta go, kiddo. 'm gonna take ya away from this sick place, right now, okay, Braig? We're gonna go home, then we can talk."

"I-I don' wanna go.. th' bad man'll hurt me!" Braig whimpered, the fear in his voice audible, and held onto his father even tighter, remembering the many threats that had been made against him when he first woke up in this horrible place: try to escape or leave, and you got punished severely. And he knew they weren't lying from experience. He had wandered out of a room once to go find a bathroom, and just for that he had been brutally smacked across the face, hard enough to cut the inside of his cheek and locked back up after being drugged and sexually abused. He shuddered deeply, little fingers clutching at his father's coat, barely soothed by being held a little closer and rocked slightly.

"It'll be alright, kiddo..." Xigbar murmured, shushing his son softly when he began to cry a little. "Daddy's not gonna let anyone hurt ya."

"Promise?" Braig pulled back to look Xigbar in the eye, looking soul-crushingly terrified.

"I promise." Xigbar nodded, hating to see such a look in his son's eyes. "Now, we have ta get out before that dude comes back. I'm gonna put you down and check outside, alright?"

Xigbar only moved away when his son nodded and crawled off his lap and onto to the bed. Getting to his feet, he glanced back at Braig before moving over to the door, grabbing and gently turning the knob as quickly as humanly possible. He opened the door slightly, taking a breath before he peeked out and looked down both ends of the hallway, trying to ignore the disturbing racket. Thankfully, he didn't see anyone, but he did see a door at the end of the hall and the two ways it branched off. He doubted the door would be unlocked considering what sort of place he was in but it didn't hurt to check just in case. As much as he wanted to scout around and find a definite exit, he didn't dare leave Braig alone or risk wandering around by himself; it was just as bad as being found with Braig.

Pulling away, he left the door cracked, beckoning his young son over silently, motioning with his finger for him to be quiet. Braig hopped off the bed and hurried over to him, immediately clutching onto Xigbar's pants leg. He looked up at his father expectantly, wondering if he had seen anyone or not.

"What's wrong, Daddy?"

"Nothin', kiddo. But, no one seems to be around, so that's a good thing," Xigbar lowered his voice to a whisper only Braig could hear. "We're gonna find a way to get out. It's really, really important that ya stay even quieter than a mouse, 'kay?"

"'Kay," Braig whispered back, whimpering again and anxiously looking at the door.

"Let's go." Xigbar reached down and picked his son up, holding him against his body as he peeked out once more before carefully moving into the hallway and quietly shutting the door behind them. Fear and anxiety pounded in time with his heart, and he swallowed hard as he checked the hallway again before silently making his way to the door. On edge from the threat of being caught, he felt like his heart was going to leap out of his chest. What if that silver haired man came back? What if anyone here saw them trying to leave? He didn't want to be hurt for trying to escape with Braig, but more so, he was worried about what someone could and would do to his son. He knew if they were caught, chances are he wouldn't get out with his life intact even if he fought. He'd heard and seen to much and would be a definite threat to them if he went to the cops.

Silently stepping up to the door, he felt his Adam's apple bob in his throat when he swallowed hard, a shaky hand reaching out to the door knob while Braig held onto him tight and watched him with wide gold eyes. He gripped the knob and twisted it, almost expecting some sort of an alarm to go off, but the only sound that responded was a tell tale click, meaning it was locked. Mentally cursing, he quickly moved away from the door and looked down the paths, one revealing another doorway filled hallway, and the other leading to several doorways along the walls and partially open doorway at the end of the hallway. Maybe there was a way to escape through there. But what if someone was in there? If someone was there and looking, they might easily see them. It was quiet down at the end of the hallway, so he didn't hear anything from that direction, but that didn't mean a thing.

Xigbar felt Braig shaking in his arms, and he gently patted his son's back before taking a chance and heading down the hallway quietly, listening for anything other than the symphony of disturbing noises around them. He didn't hear any noises coming from the room though: no footsteps, no talking, nothing but silence. The longer they were in the brothel, the more dangerous it was for them, and there could be some means of escape in the room; it was a risk he had to take.

As he approached the doorway, it felt like Death itself was looming over his shoulder. Braig clutched onto him tighter, and he felt his son bury his face into his shoulder as he peeked into the room, expecting the worse but thank goodness, the office was empty of anything living. A little sigh of relief almost fell from his lips, but he wouldn't truly feel relieved until he and his son were far, far away from this horrible place. As he stepped into the room, he looked around the room, immediately drawn to the room's current source of light which stood out like a shining beacon of hope: a window. He knew Braig could easily fit through it, and he could get through with only a slight struggle. He carefully shut the door behind them, swifting moving over to the window. As if it couldn't get better, the window didn't have any bars on it, nor was it locked. As odd as it was, he didn't question it, instead, looking out int the alleyway behind the building. They were still on the ground level on the building, so it looked like only a few feet down to the heavily snow covered ground. Even if it wasn't, the snow was thick and hopefully wouldn't give under their feet.

"Okay..." Xigbar whispered, gently setting Braig down beside him. "'m gonna open this window, and then I want ya to climb out. I know it'll be cold, but as soon as we get out, I'll put my coat'n hat on ya so you'll be warm."

Braig nodded and stood close to Xigbar's leg, fearful, but he trusted his father. He watched him try to open the window with curious eyes, and after severals seconds, the window opened with a 'whooshing' noise and almost instantly, the remnants of a cold gust clawed at him. Shivering, he whimpered at the wind's scary howling, and looked up at his father with an apprehensive expression on his tear-streaked face.

"Daddy, 'm scared..."

"I know, kiddo, but ya gotta be brave..." Xigbar trailed off, looking over at the door with a confused expression on his face. Did... did he hear footsteps? He could hardly tell over the noisy wind, but the second the wind's shrieking died down, he heard them clear as day; distant, but they were there, and his fear was telling him they were getting closer. Pulling Braig into his arms, he raised the window as high as possible before looking his son in the eye.

"Braig.. someone's coming, we gotta go right now." Xigbar swallowed hard, lifting his son up and holding him near the window, facing him. "Go, I'll be right behind ya."

The child let out a squeak of fear, tears gathering in his eyes as he looked at the door in immense fear. Were the bad men coming for him? Were they going to hurt his Daddy and him? He began to cry softly at the thoughts, terrified of being punished again and being taken away from his father. He clung onto his Xigbar with an iron grip, trying to bury his face in his coat.

"N-Noo... t-they'll h-hurt u-us..." Braig sobbed softly, quivering out of fear and the cold air that was trying to sneak into the room, the noise masking the footsteps for a second time.

"Shhh, Braig... I won't let them get us, I promise." Xigbar shushed his son softly, urgency running rampant in his lowered voice, trying to reassure and quiet him with a brief hug and a kiss to his head. "But we have to go **now. **Let me put you through the window."

Despite being a child, Braig heard and was able to sense the urgency radiating off Xigbar, and he nodded hesitantly, not about to disobey his father. Little heart racing, he continued crying softly, but he did as he was told, letting go of the coat, trying to be quiet and still as he was lifted out of the window and sat down on the ground with a soft crunching noise. Instantly, the cold hit his tiny body, striking down to his core, making him shiver badly and he let out a quiet whimper.

Xigbar looked down at his son for a moment, thankful to see him safe but it wasn't over yet. Those footsteps were nearly to the door now, and he definitely wasn't keen on seeing who was coming. It he had time, he'd have attempted going on a better way, but he went through the window head first, pulling himself through and onto the freezing snow with a grunt. It wasn't the best idea, but it worked at least even though his stomach was aching slightly now. Quickly he reached inside and shut the window back as much as he could, picking up Braig, who squeaked in surprise and running down the alleyway just as the office door opened.

Breath coming out in ragged gasps, he didn't stop running until he had reached the end of the back alley, running out of the alleyway and onto the street itself, keeping a tight hold on a shivering Braig as he ducked into the closest abandoned building. Panting, he sat Braig down in front of him, kneeling down and hugging him close to give him some more warmth. He could barely believe it, but they had escaped just in the nick of time; it was like a miracle come true, a very welcome one.

"Okay, kiddo, let's get my coat on you..." Xigbar murmured, pulling away only to unzip and remove his coat.

Braig nodded eagerly, little teeth chattering in time with his shivering body, so happy to have the warm, furred coat wrapped around him and zipped up. For a moment, he flapped his arms, giggling softly, amused by how the sleeves and coat were much too big and vaguely resembled bird wings. It was like when his father would take him to the park often and he'd see so many pretty birds while he played. Maybe his father would take him to the park like he used too.

It made Xigbar's broken heart swell with happiness to see a smile on his son's face, and it made of think of all the happy memories from before everything went wrong. He chuckled softly, and then sighed. Now wasn't the time for reminiscing, he could do that at home where they were both safe, and warm. Trying not to shiver, he took his hat off and gently placed it on Braig's head, positioning it enough so that it didn't fall completely over the child's face.

"There we go. Ready ta go home?" Xigbar asked, giving his son a little, tired smile as he picked him up and wrapped him up in the coat like a caterpillar in a cocoon.

"Uh-huh!"

Xigbar chuckled softly for a few seconds, the cold hit him deeply as soon as he exited the abandoned building and he couldn't help but shiver. Cold gnawing at his bones, he glanced up at the nearest street sign, trying to keep his teeth from chattering. Alright... he wasn't too terribly far from where the closest tram, but he wasn't going anywhere near the brothel again, which meant going the longer way around, just to be safe. He held Braig closer as he started up the street with a shuddery breath, clothes barely keeping him warm, but he didn't complain in the slightest; all he could think about was getting them home.

* * *

Body feeling numb from the biting cold, Xigbar slowed to a stop outside his apartment building, breathing a relieved sigh as he fumbled around in his pocket for his key. He swiftly pulled it out, hands shaking from the cold and it took him a fair amount of seconds to struggle with the key and finally get into the lock. Pulling his key out, he hurried into the building and shut the down behind them, instantly bathed in the building's warmth and shelter from the wind.

"T-This isn't h-home..." Braig mumbled, looking around the lobby warily, but at the same time, in a slightly curious fashion.

"Daddy had ta move after everythin' happened.." Xigbar swallowed thickly, shuddering, and not because of the cold either. "I know it ain't th' old home, but it's our home. And this time, Daddy had enough money to get a big apartment, with your own room."

"Ohh... 'kay, Daddy." Braig blinked a few times, but he was satisfied with the answer. He had thought they were going back to the home he'd always known, but this new home didn't sound too bad.

Braig held on tighter as his father moved to and started up the large set of stairs that seemed absolutely massive to a small child like him, eyes growing bright with curiosity as he looked around. He didn't remember the outside of their old apartment really well, but he could remember it enough to notice this new apartment was a lot nicer than the old one. He'd be happy wherever he was now that his father was here, as long as it wasn't back at the bad place.

Yawning softly, he shifted against his father, tired from everything that happened, not to mention hungry. The bad men didn't feed he, or any of the other children very well at all, and any sort of complaint meant you were punished. But now, he was home with his Daddy; he'd never be punished by them again! His father had said he wouldn't let anyone hurt him and he trusted him. He would be nice and safe with him. Snuggling closer to his father, he felt himself be hugged tighter, which made him smile a little more.

"When we get to home, can I have somethin' ta eat?" Braig asked, pulling back to look around at the other apartments they passed.

"'Course ya can. I'll cook us up a extra nice lunch. I'll make yer favorite to, chicken noodle soup with lots'a noodles, just for ya."

The child grinned a little at the thought before an exhausted expression appeared on his face, watching as his father continued up the stairs, finally stopping at one. Xigbar unlocked the door with one of his keys, feeling like a weight has been lifted off his heavy shoulders. He opened the door and stepped in, pulling his key out, shutting the door and locking all the locks behind them out of habit. Finally... home, with his son. Despite being still being in shock about where he'd found his son and the condition, he held happiness in his heart. At least he'd found him alive, relatively uninjured, and he was now safe at home. He had been waiting a long, hellish year for this moment. Carrying his son to the living room, he headed straight for the hallway to his bedroom, stopping at a door near his.

It was his son's room. Back when his son was younger, he'd barely had enough money to rent a small, one bedroom apartment for them both, but after his son's kidnapping, the money he'd been saving for them to move plus extra from work, went towards a new apartment; he couldn't stand to stay in the old apartment any longer.

Braig's eyes widened when Xigbar opened the door, instantly smiling a little at seeing his room where almost everything was his favorite color: blue. He had his own little bed with a blue checkered comforter sitting on it neatly, a little blue shelf where all his books were, a white dresser, a cornflower blue carpet and... his stuffed frog, Fuzzy! His father had given it to him when he was younger and it was right on the bed too. He could hardly believe he was getting a room so nice. It was awesome, ten times better than the room he had to share with his father at the old apartment.

"Do ya like it? I didn't know when I'd get ya back, but... I still made up yer room as best as I could." Xigbar gently set him down on the floor with a quiet grunt, sounding tired.

"I love it, Daddy!" Braig turned to Xigbar with a grin, hugging his leg briefly, earning a hair ruffling in return. "Thank ya."

"Yer welcome, kiddo." Xigbar chuckled tiredly before moving to the dresser and opening one of the bottom drawers, searching around for a moment before pulling out a long sleeved shirt and pants, and then another drawer to get a pair of socks.

"Here." Xigbar handed the clothes to his son. "I'll be back in a minute with a blanket, kiddo. Then I'll get ta work on the soup." Xigbar said, giving his son a tired, half-hearted smile, stretching out his tired arm a little.

"'kay."

Sighing a bit, Xigbar left his son's room and shutting the door behind him to give his son the utmost privacy, leaving to go get one of his warmest blankets from his closet. All trace of happiness disappeared from his face and was replaced with a worried frown as he headed into his room and to his closet, opening the doors with a creaking noise. He really was happy to have his son back, but now the fear and the thought of the consequences of his actions were starting to set in like a cloak of papermache` around his body.

The people at the brothel would eventually find out he'd 'stolen' Braig from them, and since he was more than likely odd, the door had been left open, the window... lots of things that pointed to him having taken his son away. Maybe they'd think it was someone else, but that creepy silver haired man knew the room he was shone too... It wouldn't be that hard for them to find out he was the culprit. He hadn't left his name or anything, so they didn't know that, but he wasn't exactly common looking with his greying hair and the deep, jagged scar on his face. Certainly the people had to be smart to keep their business secret, so chances are they had the technology to find him quicker than just looking for him by his looks. He wanted so badly to be truly happy about finding his son, really show it, not just hide it and seem like he was just tired, not worried and scared, but all he could think about was what could happen.

He knew Zack and Reno would try and protect them, and the police would help as well, but they could only do so much if something happened. He hoped nothing would happen to them, that everything could be as alright as possible and they could get back on track with their lives, but deep down in his heart, something told him this wasn't the end of it.

As he pulled out a navy blue and gray checkered blanket, he heard a knock at the door, and fear instantly shone on his face. Glancing at the clock, he noted the time: it was almost two thirty, around the time Axel and Roxas said they'd be stopping by with his pizza. But... what if it wasn't them? What if the people at the brothel had already found him? The idea terrified him, but Axel and Roxas finding out about Braig scared him as well. They were his closest friends, but what would they think about him when they saw Braig and he explained Braig to them? Would they think he was a bad father? No, they wouldn't think that, would they? They'd understand... hopefully.

Setting the blanket back in place, he slowly made his way to the door, almost wanting to pretend he wasn't home, but that would only delay the inevitable, chest tightening as he stepped up to the door and looked through the peep hole. He was right, it was them, and they had brought Ventus with them. He took a deep breath and exhaled, feeling anxious yet again, unlocking the door and forcing a smile as he opened the door.

"Hey, you two," Xigbar greeted them, trying not to display his anxiety and bits of fear on a pedestal for them to openly gaze at.

"Hiii, Mister Xigbar!" Ventus waved at him, nose and face red from the cold.

"Hey, Xig. Brought your pizza." Roxas chuckled a little, and gave him a smile. "We don't want to impose, but think we could stay for a little bit until the snow let's up? The road's are covered and the tram's have even stopped running so we're kind of stuck. Schools were let out early too, that's why we've got Ven with us."

"Sure, come on in.." Xigbar forced himself to smile a little, stepping aside to let them in. He hadn't even realized it was snowing **that **heavily, but then again he'd be too focused on other things.

"Thanks. Hopefully the snow won't turn into a blizzard, but knowing Twilight Town's weather it will." Axel blinked a little as he walked in, carrying his son's little Scooby Doo backpack, Ventus following after him with a little sneeze. He turned back to kneel down and wipe the child's nose with some tissues from his pocket. "Oops, I bet I jinxed it there."

"Nice job, Ax." Roxas shook his head and chuckled again, carrying the warm pizza box to Xigbar's kitchen and setting it on the counter.

"Make yerselves at home. Ya want somethin' hot ta drink? I got hot chocolate and apple cider, I think." Xigbar made himself chuckle a little as he shut the door behind them, and locked it as he always did before moving in the living room area with a tired sigh. Hopefully they wouldn't be here long... He was tired, he didn't feel like having bad memories brought up by explaining Braig's presence, he just wanted to feed us son, and rest-

"Who's here, Daddy?"

Walking out of his room in much warmer and better clothes, Braig yawned and moved his way into the living room, stopping when he saw Axel, Roxas, and Ventus. Curious, but visibly tired eyes looked them over, another yawn bubbling up as he rubbed his eyes with a little fist. Were these people his father's friends or something? Why were they here? He whined a bit, completely exhausted and sleepy from everything that happened. He didn't really want to be kept up even if they looked interesting, especially the blond haired boy around his age who stared back at him with the same curiosity.

"Daddy...?" Axel repeated what the six year old said, more than a little surprised to see Braig.

"We didn't know you had a... son, Xig..." Roxas looked back Xigbar with a mixture of surprise, confusion, and behind it, worry.

Xigbar swallowed hard, easily figuring out why Roxas looked worried and it pained him, especially considering what he just rescued Braig from. He didn't think they might think he kidnapped a child, and to add insult to injury, they proably thought the worst of those implications. But they didn't know anything about Braig, it wasn't crazy that they'd think that.

"Daddy, 'm sleepy..." Braig said, yawning again as he stepped over to Xigbar and stared up at him. "I thought you were bringin' th' blanket to me too.."

"Yeah, I was, but I had ta let Axel, Roxas, and Ventus in..." Xigbar tried to act calm as he picked Braig up, and not like he was in a hurry to explain what happened so Roxas, and probably Axel too could stop thinking bad things about him. He looked over at their worried faces, hoping he didn't look scared. "'m gonna get Braig th' blanket and put him to bed, then I'll explain everythin'. It's a long story..."

Axel and Roxas watched as Xigbar carry Braig off to the open door Roxas guessed was Braig's room. He remembered seeing that door the many times he was over Xigbar's apartment, but he'd always told them it was just a closet, but judging by what was inside, it was a child's room... Hating what those facts implicated, he tried to rationalize and assure himself that Xigbar couldn't possibly have kidnapped the boy and couldn't be some sort of a child molester, especially considering the man was his long time friend, and he had been friends with Xigbar even longer than Axel had. He didn't want to think such things, but what other sort of explanation would there be? Xigbar would have told them if he had a kid. But... maybe he just adopted a child, or rescued a child off the street out of the goodness of his heart; he didn't think of that. The happy thoughts calmed his mind slightly, but scared side of him was telling him not to judge a book by its cover; Xigbar could have just hidden his tendencies, if he had any. But... he couldn't be bad, could he?

"You didn't know Xigbar had a son, did you, Ax?" Roxas asked, looking over at Axel with a questioning frown on his face.

"Who was that boy, Mommy?" Ventus piped up as he moved over to Roxas and stood beside his leg, looking up the blond for an answer.

"We'll find out in a minute, Ven," Roxas reached down and ruffled his son's blond spikes, frowning somewhat and glancing back at the hallway, watching Xigbar return to the bedroom with a big, fluffy blue and gray checkered blanket.

"No, I didn't... He's never told me anything like that before. Heck, I didn't think Xigbar'd ever dated or anything, not to be insulting..." Axel responded back before shaking his head, sighing, not liking the idea of his second closest friend hiding something so big from him, but he must have had his reasons.

"Well, we'll find out what's up..." Roxas shared a concerned look with his husband, sighing.

A couple minutes later Xigbar came out of Braig's room after tucking in his son, giving him a kiss to the forehead, and assuring him that he'd be there when he woke up and that everything was alright. Heart pounding in his chest, he walked back into the living room, looking visibly exhausted and bothered, not bothering to hide it, not that he could. He was so emotionally and physically drained, and talking to them was just going to keep them dripping like a leaky faucet. Sighing, he resigned himself to it; he had to.

"'m sure yer wonderin' about Braig, and I can explain but we should talk in private. There's some things Ventus doesn't need ta hear... We can talk talk out here or in my bedroom."

"Alright..." Roxas frowned a little more at that, wondering what Xigbar had to say and why he looked so bothered. "Wait out here for us, Ven. And make sure to be quiet too."

"Okay, Mommy." Ventus smiled and nodded, taking his backpack from Axel and plopping himself down on Xigbar's couch, opening his backpack. "I'll draw something for you and Daddy."

"Good, bud. We'll be out in a little bit." Roxas nodded before Xigbar lead him and Axel back to his room, shutting the door behind his friend and his husband with a little sigh so Ventus wouldn't hear whatever would be said.

"Alright..." Xigbar sighed deeply, scratching at his scarred cheek. "I know yer probably really confused and what not, and think this is bad, but trust me, it's not what it seems like. I'll start off at the beginnin'... Braig is my son. I had him with a girlfriend way b'fore I met you guys. She became terminally ill, so we had agreed I'd take care of him'n stuff after she died. I was only seventeen and still in school, so it was tough, but we got through it. Not too long before we met though, Braig was... kidnapped."

Xigbar went silent for a moment, chest and throat feeling constricted as he thought back to the first night Braig had been kidnapped, waking up in the morning and expecting to wake his son up for breakfast, only to be greeted with an empty bed with tussled sheets, no sign of what had happened to the child. Crying, sleepless nights, angry outbursts... he remembered it all.

Axel stared at his friend in stunned silence, sharing a shocked look with his husband, and instantly, guilt came knocking at his door. Xigbar hadn't kidnapped a child... his own son had been kidnapped from him. His mind could conjure up how hard that must have been since he and Roxas had a child, but at the same time, just how horrible that must have been escaped him. He really couldn't, and didn't want to imagine the pain of having lost a child for so long, having no idea where they were, who took them, or what happened to them.

"Oh Xig... I'm so sorry..." Axel spoke softly, looking at his friend with sadness in his green eyes. "But... he's here, so you found him today?"

"Yeah. I had been looking him the whole year after th' case went cold. Some cops, my friends now, Zack and Reno have been helpin' me sometimes and give me possible tips. I had gone to check out one of them. This... is th' part Ventus didn't need ta here. " Xigbar swallowed hard, shutting his eyes for a moment and pushing away the memories of the horrible sounds he heard in the brothel.

"I... I found Braig bein' transported by two men along with some other kids. Th' place they took him into was a brothel... I went in and lied ta get a room, and I managed ta get him out b'fore anyone saw me." His voice caught in his throat for a moment, wiping away a few tears that tried to gather in his eyes, but more came and a few rolled down his cheeks. Hurriedly wiping them away, he swayed a little, everything finally starting to hit him now that he was finally somewhat still. "M-my son was in child prostitution..."

A horrified, shocked silence fell over Axel and Roxas, and they just stood there, staring at Xigbar with wide eyes. Having your child kidnapped was bad enough, but forced into child prostitution was ten times worse, and at such a young age... Horrible and disgusting didn't even begin to describe what Axel heard. He didn't want to imagine the terrible things Braig must have went through. It was so sickening to think that such a place existed in Twilight Town, that his friend's son had been forced into it, the trauma the child must be dealing with and Xigbar had to have his own trauma he was dealing with, and finding out such a thing wouldn't make it better. Unable to help himself, he stepped over to Xigbar and wrapped his arms around him, pulling him into a tight hug, and Roxas joined in as well, tears gathering in his blue eyes.

Roxas wanted to say something to Xigbar, but what did he say to that? Sorry had already been said, but it didn't reverse time and keep the whole horrid situation would happening, and neither did words of sympathy. He stayed silent instead, hoping the tight hug and look in his face and eyes spoke the words he couldn't.

After a few more moments, Xigbar felt his friends pull away, looking every bit as weary as he felt, but it felt slightly good to dispel whatever they thought he did.

"Why didn't you tell us sooner, Xig?" Roxas questioned softly, wiping away tears that stung his eyes. "I mean, I know it must have been so painful, but..."

"It's alright..." Xigbar shook his head a little.

"I would have, but it wasn't even totally the pain that kept me from tellin' ya, it was th' guilt... I always thought it was my fault Braig was kidnapped. I-I had a bad feelin' that night, but I jus' ignored it and figured it was just nerves since I was waitin' for a response for a new job. I shoulda did somethin', I... I don't know..." Xigbar muttered the last part almost incoherently, rubbing his tired eyes, exhausted beyond belief emotionally, and all that exhaustion was turning physical. "I thought y-ya'd think I was a bad parent, stuff..."

"Xig, we'd never think that about you. You did all you could and risked yourself to save your son. You're a great parent." Roxas stated with absolute certainty. He noticed his friend sway a little and he frowned, easily noticing how tired he was. "Why don't you lay down? You look like you're about to fall over..."

"Yeah, you don't look to good, Xig. Here, we'll help you to the bed." Axel moved closer to Xigbar, wrapping an arm around his shoulders to help steady him.

As fatigued as he was, Xigbar didn't protest as his best friends carefully and gently helped him to the bed, pulling back the blankets and aiding him in laying down so he didn't fall and hurt himself at all. Giving them a small smile, he mumbled a 'thank you', already starting to drift off as he soon as he pulled the covers up to his chin.

Roxas watched Xigbar turn over, and the room was silent save for their collective breathing, Xigbar's slowly turning into the peaceful, steady breathing of someone sleeping. Sighing deeply, he turned and moved out of the room quickly, but quietly, followed by Axel, filled with a sadness for Xigbar and Braig he'd never felt before, and the urge to hug his own son close to him. He moved into the living room where Ventus was silently drawing on some paper from his Scooby Doo folder that matched his backpack. Holding back tears, he stepped over to the couch and sat down, pulling his identical son into his arms and hugging him tight.

"What's wrong, Mommy?" Ventus questioned in a lowered voice, being mindful of what his parents had told him still. Child or not, he noticed the restrained sadness on his mother's face, and it worried him.

"Nothing, Ven." Roxas shook his head, forcing a smile. He hated it, but he lied as he added, "Everything's alright."

Ventus peeked around him, looking at his father's equally sad face, but he didn't question it; his mother wouldn't lie to him. "Where's Mister Xigbar and that boy?"

"Xigbar and his son were very tired, so they went to bed." Roxas thought for a moment. "Do you want to help me make them some dinner? They'll be tired later on, so we're gonna leave them it as a little present.

"Okay, Mommy!" Ventus grinned, displaying a missing front tooth as he did. He put all his crayons back in their box and put his drawings in the folder before, getting off the couch with his mother and following him into the kitchen with a little smile on his face.


End file.
